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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. board — a committee
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — to get on
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rest — a break
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rock — music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com